Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

The Manistique Senior Center plays a vital role in the lives of the seniors of Schoolcraft County. Not only are there numerous activities taking place, the center can arrange long distance medical transportation; homemaker aide (housekeeping) and many other services for any senior residing in Schoolcraft County who may be in need. Stop by the center or give them a call and the staff will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

I have the pleasure of being a volunteer at our center and, therefore, I am urging you to give your continued support on Aug. 7 with a “Yes” vote for the millage renewal to make sure that our center remains the “Home Away From Home” our seniors have come to enjoy!

Thank you for your continued support!

Kristin Anderson

Manistique

Dear Editor,

A great big “thank you” to the many volunteers and helping hands with the recent production of Jack and the Beanstalk presented through the Missoula Children’s Theatre! Another wonderful success!

We have so many talented young people in our community, who showcased their talents on stage and behind the scenes to make this production so fantastic! The kids had a great time putting the show together (in just five days!); and were really able to shine in their performances! We hope we can invite MCT back next summer for the 8th time and outdo ourselves once again! Thanks again to our actors, assistants, parents, friends, volunteers, and sponsors – we couldn’t have done it without you!

Sincerely,

Cheryl Demers

Manistique

Dear Editor,

I was admitted to the swing bed rehabilitation program at Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital on May 9. This followed a week at the Sault where Dr. Galey performed major surgery on my broken femur.

I want to commend the swing bed program. Except for a single minor exception, the entire staff involved in my care was constantly patient, caring, compassionate and encouraging.

I was especially impressed by the program’s team approach. Everyone involved – the doctors, nurses, social workers, physical and occupational therapists and the nutritionist were always aware of my medications and progress in the rehab process. The kitchen and housekeeping staff went out of their way to make my stay more pleasant.

In spite of the constraints imposed by our out-of-date facility, I received excellent care. I admit I wasn’t too sure that we needed a new hospital, but after nearly two months of up close and personal observation, I’m convinced the new hospital will be a positive asset to our community.

Sincerely,

Pat Hazel

Manistique

Dear editor,

We’d like to take this time to officially congratulate all the contestants who entered the Miss, Jr. Miss, Little Miss and Little Prince pageant at the Schoolcraft County Fair. We both had a great time working with the contestants all week and want to applaud them for their hard work. It was hot and sticky, and we all were tired, but in the end their hard work paid off. Each and every one of you is a winner to us! We’d also like to thank everyone who came together behind the scenes. A special thanks to Tom Miles for always being there to lend a hand, First Baptist Church for the use of their stage microphone and piano, Cliff Blose for his trailer to haul the piano back and forth, Devin Lawrence for the lights, Steve Derousha for the set, Terry Jones for helping us hang the balloons from the rafters and Mike Johnson Sr. for the use of his DJ equipment. Thank you to all the local businesses and independent donors who made donations to the pageant: Clyde’s Drive-In, Emma Claire’s Boutique, Jack’s Fresh Market, mBank, Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital, U.P. Septic, The Eva Burrell Animal Shelter, Treasure City, Zephyr, Cinema One, Mitchy’s Movies, Schone’s Chiropractic, Pizza Hut, Main Street Pizza, Cedar Street Café, The Pioneer Tribune, Ben Franklin, Dairy Kream, Putvin’s Health Mart, Shell Lakeshore Oil, Lakeview Falls Mini Golf, USW Local, Arnold and Associates, Ben Franklin, Manistique Merchant’s Association and The Mustard Seed.

Thank you to the general public for supporting the “People’s Choice” board and for attending the pageants.

Thank you to our judges Kristi Palmer, Linda Beauchamp and Kathleen Lindquist for being honest and fair to all the contestants. This year’s pageant was a huge success and couldn’t have happened without the help of the many volunteers and community partners that were involved. Finally, thank you to the Fair Board for believing in us and giving us the opportunity to serve the youth of our community. It has been a pleasure working with you and we are already making plans for next year!

Sincerely,

Jill Johnson and Karen Allor

Manistique

Dear Editor,

On Tuesday, Aug. 7, Schoolcraft County voters have an opportunity to bring Michigan State University Extension services back to our county. Schoolcraft is the only county in the State of Michigan without MSUE. Our family asks you to please vote “Yes” for the MSUE millage request.

The new MSU Extension provides a broader array of services through several institutes, such as:

• Families: from aging to bullying to early childhood development to violence prevention, MSUE will be an important and needed partner in our county throughout every stage and challenge of life.

There are many more MSUE services that will be important to each of us in Schoolcraft County which you can learn more about at http://msue.anr.msu.edu. Two that are especially important to our family are: farmers and 4-H.

Most of you are aware that Schoolcraft County is home to the popular Manistique Farmers’ Market. Restoring MSUE to our county will restore agriculture services to our market’s farmers, and also provide such things as nutrition education and cooking and preserving classes at the Farmers’ Market.

As parents of a ten-year-old daughter, we would like her to have the opportunity to be part of 4-H, whether it’s learning how to raise rabbits or exploring science and technology through “Science Blast”; it is important that all children in Schoolcraft County have opportunities offered through MSUE.

The MSUE millage is just 19 cents for each $1,000 of taxable property value. If your property is worth $100,000, your portion of the millage will be just $19 per year – about the price of one pizza.

We ask you to give the new MSUE five years to prove their value to our communities, families, farmers and schools. Our family believes you won’t regret saying “Yes” to MSU Extension on Aug. 7.

A special thanks to the Schoolcraft County Commissioners for committing to provide office space for MSUE in the County Building at no cost. Allen and Kerry Ott

Manistique

Dear Editor,

It is very important to bring attention to this primary the 7th of August 2012.

Please be assured we need the millage renewal this year for “Our Senior Center” so we can continue to bring all of our programs to the seniors in the area.

I, for one, would sure be amiss if we didn’t have the support from our community. Please make sure to vote for this on Aug. 7, 2012. I will be voting for it.

P.S. Thank You. ‘A Senior for Years”

Mabel Patz

Manistique

To the editor:

For the past 2 years, from the end of May through Oct. 31, I have had the extreme pleasure of volunteering on Wednesdays as a “market host” for Manistique’s Farmers’ Market at Little Bear West Arena. My main purpose is to count city and rural attendees and provide information, as needed, to those visiting the market.

For those who have not visited our Farmers’ Market, I strongly encourage you to stop by and see what you are missing. Thanks to the Sault Tribe Alliance for Health’s dedication and organization, and their partnership with the city of Manistique in creating and sustaining our Farmers’ Market for their third season now, I look forward to spending time with so many happy and appreciative people every Wednesday. It is truly an uplifting experience just walking through the market and seeing the variety of fresh produce, specialty meats, baked goods, fresh flowers and friendly people gathered there. As people come and go, I hear attendees expressing gratitude and excitement at what they have seen during their visits. And then, as they return each week, they head for their familiar vendor’s colored canopy for more of the same fresh, home-grown produce that is such a welcome offering.

Like the hundreds of Farmers’ Market attendees, we should all be thankful and supportive of local farmers, and those that make it possible for them to showcase their hard work every Wednesday, by taking advantage of the opportunity to buy fresh and local. On a personal note, I appreciate being able to buy a head of garlic that is not shipped into the United States from Mexico. I appreciate being able to learn about kohlrabi, kale and wheat berries and learn how to use them. I appreciate being able to ask the farmers questions about how their farm was maintained and whether they used chemicals in their preparation. And, most of all, I appreciate the superior taste of fresh, local goods.

Yes, we live in a small, rural area that sometimes seems “sheltered”, but we are truly privileged to be able to have the opportunity that a local Farmers’ Market provides. It is my hope that our Farmers’ Market will be around for a long time, year after year after year, getting bigger and better than we ever thought possible. One way we can guarantee this is to support it by shopping it!

I hope to see you Wednesdays between 4 and 6 (p.m.) at Little Bear West Arena. You will be happy you made the time to shop Manistique’s Farmers’ Market.